(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telecommunication system and, more particularly, to the technique for controlling connection between a switching system and a plurality of communication terminals in a telecommunication system such as including the internet packet communication network and a circuit-switched communication network. The present invention also relates to a telecommunication control method and system for use in such a telecommunication system.
(b) Description of the Related Art
It is usual for a subscriber of a telecommunication system to ask for a telephone number by using a communication terminal such as a general subscriber's telephone system or a mobile telephone system before originating a call to the telephone number. Such an inquiry is generally performed by using a telephone number directory service offered by a carrier, using a data base retrieval service offered by a carrier such as “Angel Line”, or using a homepage on the internet such as offered by NTT Corporation in its “i-mode” system.
The method for originating a call while using the telephone number directory service includes the steps of requesting the telephone number of an operator by voice, recording on a paper the telephone number uttered by the operator, and then inputting the recorded telephone number onto the own communication terminal for coupling to the telephone number.
The method for originating a call while using the data base retrieval service includes the steps of dial-up accessing to the data base by using a personal computer on which a dedicated retrieval software runs, performing the retrieval in the data base, recording the retrieved telephone number, and inputting the recorded telephone number onto the own communication terminal for coupling to the telephone number.
Both the above methods necessitate, as described above, the duplicate steps of recording the telephone number on some medium and inputting the telephone number with reference to the recorded telephone number.
The method for originating a call while using the homepage on the internet includes the steps of coupling the own communication terminal, such as a mobile phone, to the internet, accessing the homepage offered by the corporation having the telephone number which is desired for connection, and coupling to the telephone number set in the content provided on the homepage.
The method for originating a call while using the homepage on the internet is relatively convenient because the call is connected without inputting the telephone number by the subscriber, thereby obviating a wrong input. However, this function is only limited to the connection to the telephone number itself. More specifically, it is impossible to display the telephone number or the information from the telephone number on the own communication terminal, when the call is being connected to the extension of the telephone number or the switching system accommodating the extension of the telephone number, or after the call is connected to the extension or the switching system.